Newburgh fires disgraced detective

CITY OF NEWBURGH — The city has fired a detective who used his cop resources to keep tabs on his former girlfriends.

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By DOYLE MURPHY

recordonline.com

By DOYLE MURPHY

Posted Apr. 19, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By DOYLE MURPHY
Posted Apr. 19, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

CITY OF NEWBURGH — The city has fired a detective who used his cop resources to keep tabs on his former girlfriends.

Detective John Staton was suspended in June after the city brought civil service charges against him, alleging he used a law enforcement database on 15 occasions to run unauthorized background checks, and then lied when police Chief Michael Ferrara questioned him about it.

Former girlfriends told the Times Herald-Record in 2012 they were told by the city that someone had accessed their personal information, such as Social Security numbers. At least one woman's relative also was notified by the city.

A notice of claim filed by two women, identified in court papers only as "Jane Doe I" and "Jane Doe II," alleges Staton's victims numbered at least 20.

Staton fought the city's allegations, forcing a closed-door disciplinary hearing in City Hall. He was represented by attorneys from Teamsters Local 445, which represents the Police Benevolent Association in Newburgh.

In a decision released to the city and Staton on Friday, the hearing officer concluded Staton was guilty of all charges. Teamsters' leadership did not respond to numerous phone messages. City Manager Richard Herbek notified Staton in a letter on Monday he would be fired.

"In considering the appropriate penalty, the Hearing Officer noted that you committed multiple acts of moral turpitude, demonstrated a lack of integrity and poor judgment, placed your personal needs above all else and lied to the Chief of Police," Herbek wrote in the letter obtained by the Times Herald-Record.

Herbek did not respond to a request for comment. In his letter, he noted that Staton attempted to resign after learning of the hearing officer's decision. Herbek wrote that he rejected the resignation, and the city had chosen to "terminate" his employment.

According the Herbek's letter, the hearing officer found Staton violated not only departmental policies but several state laws when he abused the database. It was not clear whether Staton would face any criminal charges as a result. Orange County District Attorney Frank Phillips and Chief Ferrara did not respond to requests for comment about that possibility.